Fan and motor construction



Feb. 25, 1936. w 5 BOWEN 2,031,688

FAN AND MOTOR CONSTRUCTION Filed March 9, 1954 INVENTOR: hfi'lliwmwmflamm,

HIS ATT ORNEYS Patented Feb. 25, 1936 PATENT" OFFICE FAN AND MOTOR CONSTRUCTION William Spencer Bowen, Westfleld, N. 1.

Application March 9,

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to fans and em-" is capable of producing the above described flow of fluid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fan having a driving means incorporated therein in such fashion that no obstruction is presented to the flow of fluid through the mechanism or in the adjacent path of flow thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which is constructed in such fashion as to facilitate the arrangement of a number of units thereof in tandem to multiply the effect of a single unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fan of the above character wherein the means for eliminating whirls and eddies in the fluid stream serves as a means for transmitting motive force to the rotor of the unit.

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, will be apparent as the invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a view in section, taken through the axis of a fan constructed in accordance with the present invention, the plane of the section indicated by the line ll of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figural.

Figure 3 is a view in section, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a plurality of units connected in tandem.

With reference to the above drawing, a circular frame or housing is shown at Ill formed at its ends with flanges Ill and provided with bolts or other suitable securing means ID to facilitate securing the same in position. The frame is provided with a plurality of radially extending stationary vanes II which project inwardly from the interior face of the housing HI. The stationary vanes H are secured to a stator element I! which is adapted to cooperate with a rotor ele- 1934, Serial No. 714,745

l3,',1ournaled upon a shaft ll which is secured to the stator at the axis thereof.

The rotor II is provided with a plurality of radially extending vanes or blades I! which extend outwardly and terminate in the adJacent inner periphery of the housing It]. In the speciflc form shown herein, the device is actuated electrically and the stator is therefore provided with a winding l6 while the rotor is provided with a winding H. The stator winding I6 is energized by electrical conductors I8 which are received within one or more of the stator blades II, as clearly shown in Figure 3. In this fashion, the wires or other means for supplying motive force to the device are housed in such fashion that they do not constitute an obstruction to the flow of fluid in a predetermined desired fashion. In order that a uniform flow of fluid may be provided without whirls or eddies therein, the rotor blades are formed with a predetermined curvature, such as shown in Figure 3. Such shape of blade, of course, sets up whirls and eddies in the fluid flow produced thereby. In order that these objectionable whirls and eddies may be removed from the fluid flow, the stator blades II are curved away from the common transverse plane between the rotor and stator as shown in Figure 3. The solid unfeathered arrows in Figure 3 indicate the path or character of the flow of fluid through the fan ,while the arrow with the feathered tail indicates the direction of rotation of the rotor. In this fashion, the means for correcting the irregularities in flow is utilized as a means for supplying motive power to the mechanism.

In order that the hub or central portion of the fan may be stream lined properly, a front cowl i9 is secured to the rotor I! in a suitable fashion such as by screws 20. A rear stationary cowl II is secured to the stator in a similar fashion as indicated at 22 and the rotor and stator may have overlying flanges 23 to produce a more effective stream lined structure. It will be seen from the foregoing that a device has been provided by means of which a smooth or lamellar flow of fluid is produced. The structure is compact and designed in such fashion that a plurality of units may be connected in multiple or tandem arrangement to multiply the effect of one unit and the driving mechanism is such as to present no obstruction to the flow of fluid save, of course, the central obstruction at the axis of flow. Obviously, the motive force may be other than electricity, for example, the rotor and stator elements may be those of a turbine to which fluid under pressure is supplied through the stator vanes.

While the invention has been described with speciiic reference to the accompanying drawing, it is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable impelling means formed with a plurality of radially extending blades, electrical means connected operatively with the impelling means and disposed at the axis of the blades, stationary supporting means for the electrical means comprising blades curved in a direction opposite to that of the first blades, the electrical means lying wholly within the planes of. the blades, electrical conductors in certain of the stationary blades connected with the electrical means, and cylindrical supporting means on the extremities of the stationary blades.

2. A device of the character described comprising, as a unit, a rotatable cylindrical fluid flow impelling means formed with a plurality of radially extending blades, a cylindrical supporting and driving means for the flow impelling means disposed axially of the blades, stationary supporting means for the driving means comprising blades curved in a direction opposite to that of the first blades, means in certain, of the stationary blades to supply a motive force to the driving means, and asupporting frame secured to the ends of the stationary blades, the thick- 5 ness of the last named frame-being substantially equal to the axial thickness of, the blades on the driving member and the flow impelling means.

8- A device of the character described comprising, as a unit, a rotatable cylindrical fluid 10 flow impelling means formed with a plurality of radially extending blades, a cylindrical supporting and driving means for the flow impelling means disposed axially of the blades, stationary supporting means for the driving means comprising blades curved in a direction opposite to that of the flrstblades, means in certain-of the stationary blades to supply a motive force to the driving means, a supporting frame secured to the ends of the stationary blades, the thickness of the last named frame being substantially equal to the axial thickness of the blades on the driving member and the flow impelling means, and means at the ends of the frame to facilitate securing the frame in position.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN. 

